Dc. Simmons et al., GENERAL-EDUCATION TEACHERS ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LEARNING AND STUDENTS WITH LEARNING-DISABILITIES - DESIGN-OF-INSTRUCTION ANALYSIS, Learning disability quarterly, 21(1), 1998, pp. 6-21
Teachers' beliefs about learning and their ability to effect change la
rgely influence classroom practice. In this study, we examined the the
oretical, personal, and instructional assumptions of 29 general educat
ors through a design-of-instruction and instructional efficacy framewo
rk. A three-part sequence of tasks (i.e., assignment of points to a th
eoretical model and analysis and modification of a curricular lesson)
was used to examine primary and elementary educators' attributions and
assumptions regarding the role of instructional tools (e.g., publishe
d programs) in student learning and teachers' ability to effect change
. Findings indicate that general educators: (a) ascribe substantial em
phasis to within-learner variables, (b) question the adequacy of comme
rcial curricular programs for students with learning disabilities, and
(c) believe they have adequate knowledge and skills to rectify the li
mitations of commercial curricular lessons for students with learning
disabilities.